"In the past, unskillful behavior
was unknown among the human race."
was unknown among the human race."
Cakkavatti Sutta:
The Wheel - Turning Emperor
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.176.than.html
The Wheel - Turning Emperor
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.176.than.html
Translator's Introduction
The body of this sutta consists of a narrative illustrating the power of skillful action.
In the past, unskillful behavior was unknown among the human race.
As a result, people lived for an immensely long time — 80 000 years --
endowed with great beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength.
Over the course of time, though, they began behaving in various unskillful ways.
This caused the human life span gradually to shorten, to the point where it now stands at 100 years, with human beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength decreasing proportionately.
In the future, as morality continues to degenerate,
human life will continue to shorten to the point where the normal life span is 10 years,
with people reaching sexual maturity at five.
"Among those human beings, the ten courses of action (see AN 10.176) will have entirely disappeared ...
See the Next 2 Chapters Below ...
The word 'skillful' will not exist, so from where will there be anyone who does what is skillful?
Those who lack the honorable qualities of motherhood, fatherhood, contemplative-hood, & brahman-hood will be the ones who receive homage...
Fierce hatred will arise, fierce malevolence, fierce rage, & murderous thoughts:
mother for child, child for mother, father for child, child for father, brother for sister,
sister for brother."
Ultimately, conditions will deteriorate to the point of a "sword-interval,"
in which swords appear in the hands of all human beings,
and they hunt one another like game.
A few people, however, will take shelter in the wilderness to escape the carnage, and when the slaughter is over, they will come out of hiding and resolve to take up a life of skillful and virtuous action again.
With the recovery of virtue, the human life span will gradually increase again until it reaches
80,000 years, with people attaining sexual maturity at 500.
Only three diseases will be known at that time: desire, lack of food, and old age.
Another Buddha — Metteyya (Maitreya) — will gain Awakening, his monastic Sangha numbering in the thousands. The greatest king of the time, Sankha, will go forth into homelessness and attain arahantship under Metteyya's guidance.
The story, after chronicling the ups and downs of human wealth, life span, etc., concludes with the following lesson on karma and skillful action.
In the past, unskillful behavior was unknown among the human race.
As a result, people lived for an immensely long time — 80 000 years --
endowed with great beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength.
Over the course of time, though, they began behaving in various unskillful ways.
This caused the human life span gradually to shorten, to the point where it now stands at 100 years, with human beauty, wealth, pleasure, and strength decreasing proportionately.
In the future, as morality continues to degenerate,
human life will continue to shorten to the point where the normal life span is 10 years,
with people reaching sexual maturity at five.
"Among those human beings, the ten courses of action (see AN 10.176) will have entirely disappeared ...
See the Next 2 Chapters Below ...
The word 'skillful' will not exist, so from where will there be anyone who does what is skillful?
Those who lack the honorable qualities of motherhood, fatherhood, contemplative-hood, & brahman-hood will be the ones who receive homage...
Fierce hatred will arise, fierce malevolence, fierce rage, & murderous thoughts:
mother for child, child for mother, father for child, child for father, brother for sister,
sister for brother."
Ultimately, conditions will deteriorate to the point of a "sword-interval,"
in which swords appear in the hands of all human beings,
and they hunt one another like game.
A few people, however, will take shelter in the wilderness to escape the carnage, and when the slaughter is over, they will come out of hiding and resolve to take up a life of skillful and virtuous action again.
With the recovery of virtue, the human life span will gradually increase again until it reaches
80,000 years, with people attaining sexual maturity at 500.
Only three diseases will be known at that time: desire, lack of food, and old age.
Another Buddha — Metteyya (Maitreya) — will gain Awakening, his monastic Sangha numbering in the thousands. The greatest king of the time, Sankha, will go forth into homelessness and attain arahantship under Metteyya's guidance.
The story, after chronicling the ups and downs of human wealth, life span, etc., concludes with the following lesson on karma and skillful action.
Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta:
To Cunda the Silversmith
Translated from the Pali
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.accesstoinsight.org
To Cunda the Silversmith
Translated from the Pali
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.accesstoinsight.org
... The Blessed One said:
"There are three ways in which one is made impure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made impure by verbal action, and three ways in which one is made impure by mental action.
Unskillful Bodily Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by bodily action?
There is the case where a certain person takes life, is a hunter, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings.
He takes what is not given. He takes, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness
that belong to others and have not been given by them.
He engages in sensual misconduct.
He gets sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man.
This is how one is made impure in three ways by bodily action.
Unskillful Verbal Action
"And how is one made impure in four ways by verbal action?
There is the case where a certain person engages in false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty [i.e., a royal court proceeding], if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I know.' If he does know, he says, 'I don't know.'
If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I have seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' Thus he consciously tells lies for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of a certain reward.
He engages in divisive speech. What he has heard here he tells there to break those people apart from these people here.
What he has heard there he tells here to break these people apart from those people there.
Thus breaking apart those who are united and stirring up strife between those who have broken apart, he loves factionalism, delights in factionalism, enjoys factionalism, speaks things that create factionalism.
He engages in abusive speech. He speaks words that are harsh, cutting, bitter to others, abusive of others, provoking anger and destroying concentration.
He engages in idle chatter. He speaks out of season, speaks what isn't factual, what isn't in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya, words that are not worth treasuring.
This is how one is made impure in four ways by verbal action.
Unskillful Mental Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by mental action?
There is the case where a certain person is covetous.
He covets the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!'
He bears ill will, corrupt in the resolves of his heart: 'May these beings be killed or cut apart or crushed or destroyed, or may they not exist at all!' He has wrong view, is warped in the way he sees things: 'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed.
There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions.
There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no brahmans or contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made impure in three ways by mental action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of unskillful action. When a person is endowed with these ten courses of unskillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time from his bed and touches the earth, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he is still impure.
If he touches wet cow dung, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch wet cow dung, he is still impure. If he touches green grass... If he doesn't touch green grass... If he worships a fire... If he doesn't worship a fire... If he pays homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he goes down into the water three times by nightfall... If he doesn't go down into the water three times by nightfall, he is still impure.
Why is that? Because these ten courses of unskillful action are impure and cause impurity.
Furthermore, as a result of being endowed with these ten courses of unskillful action, [rebirth in] hell is declared, [rebirth in] an animal womb is declared, [rebirth in] the realm of hungry shades is declared — that or any other bad destination.
"Now, Cunda, there are three ways in which one is made pure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made pure by verbal action, and three ways in which one is made pure by mental action.
Skillful Bodily Action
"And how is one made pure in three ways by bodily action?
There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life,
abstains from the taking of life.
He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful,
compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them.
Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made pure in three ways by bodily action.
Skillful Verbal Action
"And how is one made pure in four ways by verbal action?
There is the case where a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I don't know.' If he does know, he says, 'I know.' If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I have seen.'
Thus he doesn't consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.
Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, speaks things that create concord.
Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large. Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter.
He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal. This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action.
Skillful Mental Action
"And how is one made pure in three ways by mental action?
There is the case where a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart. [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world.
There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are brahmans & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of skillful action.
When a person is endowed with these ten courses of skillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time from his bed and touches the earth, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he is still pure. If he touches wet cow dung, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch wet cow dung, he is still pure. If he touches green grass... If he doesn't touch green grass... If he worships a fire... If he doesn't worship a fire... If he pays homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he goes down into the water three times by nightfall... If he doesn't go down into the water three times by nightfall, he is still pure.
Why is that? Because these ten courses of skillful action are pure and cause purity. Furthermore, as a result of being endowed with these ten courses of skillful action, [rebirth among] the devas is declared, [rebirth among] human beings is declared — that or any other good destination."
When this was said, Cunda the silversmith said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the community of monks.
May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge,
from this day forward, for life."
See also: AN 3.2; Iti 30; Iti 31
AN 10.176
PTS: A v 263
This version of the text might be out of date. Please click here for more information.
"There are three ways in which one is made impure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made impure by verbal action, and three ways in which one is made impure by mental action.
Unskillful Bodily Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by bodily action?
There is the case where a certain person takes life, is a hunter, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings.
He takes what is not given. He takes, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness
that belong to others and have not been given by them.
He engages in sensual misconduct.
He gets sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man.
This is how one is made impure in three ways by bodily action.
Unskillful Verbal Action
"And how is one made impure in four ways by verbal action?
There is the case where a certain person engages in false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty [i.e., a royal court proceeding], if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I know.' If he does know, he says, 'I don't know.'
If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I have seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' Thus he consciously tells lies for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of a certain reward.
He engages in divisive speech. What he has heard here he tells there to break those people apart from these people here.
What he has heard there he tells here to break these people apart from those people there.
Thus breaking apart those who are united and stirring up strife between those who have broken apart, he loves factionalism, delights in factionalism, enjoys factionalism, speaks things that create factionalism.
He engages in abusive speech. He speaks words that are harsh, cutting, bitter to others, abusive of others, provoking anger and destroying concentration.
He engages in idle chatter. He speaks out of season, speaks what isn't factual, what isn't in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya, words that are not worth treasuring.
This is how one is made impure in four ways by verbal action.
Unskillful Mental Action
"And how is one made impure in three ways by mental action?
There is the case where a certain person is covetous.
He covets the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!'
He bears ill will, corrupt in the resolves of his heart: 'May these beings be killed or cut apart or crushed or destroyed, or may they not exist at all!' He has wrong view, is warped in the way he sees things: 'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed.
There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions.
There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no brahmans or contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made impure in three ways by mental action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of unskillful action. When a person is endowed with these ten courses of unskillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time from his bed and touches the earth, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he is still impure.
If he touches wet cow dung, he is still impure. If he doesn't touch wet cow dung, he is still impure. If he touches green grass... If he doesn't touch green grass... If he worships a fire... If he doesn't worship a fire... If he pays homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he goes down into the water three times by nightfall... If he doesn't go down into the water three times by nightfall, he is still impure.
Why is that? Because these ten courses of unskillful action are impure and cause impurity.
Furthermore, as a result of being endowed with these ten courses of unskillful action, [rebirth in] hell is declared, [rebirth in] an animal womb is declared, [rebirth in] the realm of hungry shades is declared — that or any other bad destination.
"Now, Cunda, there are three ways in which one is made pure by bodily action, four ways in which one is made pure by verbal action, and three ways in which one is made pure by mental action.
Skillful Bodily Action
"And how is one made pure in three ways by bodily action?
There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life,
abstains from the taking of life.
He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful,
compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them.
Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made pure in three ways by bodily action.
Skillful Verbal Action
"And how is one made pure in four ways by verbal action?
There is the case where a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I don't know.' If he does know, he says, 'I know.' If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I have seen.'
Thus he doesn't consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.
Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, speaks things that create concord.
Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large. Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter.
He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal. This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action.
Skillful Mental Action
"And how is one made pure in three ways by mental action?
There is the case where a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart. [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world.
There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are brahmans & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental action.
"These, Cunda, are the ten courses of skillful action.
When a person is endowed with these ten courses of skillful action, then even if he gets up at the proper time from his bed and touches the earth, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch the earth, he is still pure. If he touches wet cow dung, he is still pure. If he doesn't touch wet cow dung, he is still pure. If he touches green grass... If he doesn't touch green grass... If he worships a fire... If he doesn't worship a fire... If he pays homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he doesn't pay homage to the sun with clasped hands... If he goes down into the water three times by nightfall... If he doesn't go down into the water three times by nightfall, he is still pure.
Why is that? Because these ten courses of skillful action are pure and cause purity. Furthermore, as a result of being endowed with these ten courses of skillful action, [rebirth among] the devas is declared, [rebirth among] human beings is declared — that or any other good destination."
When this was said, Cunda the silversmith said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the community of monks.
May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge,
from this day forward, for life."
See also: AN 3.2; Iti 30; Iti 31
AN 10.176
PTS: A v 263
This version of the text might be out of date. Please click here for more information.
Virtue as volition is the seven volitions [that accompany the first seven] of the [ten] courses of action (kamma) in one who abandons the killing of living things, and so on.
Virtue as consciousness-concomitant is the [three remaining] states consisting of non-covetousness, non-ill will, and right view, stated in the way beginning, “Abandoning covetousness, he dwells with a mind free from covetousness” (D I 71).
I know the quote is taken out of context from the chapter, but I was just wondering about the ten courses of action (kamma), and their reference and significance?
What are the ten courses of action & their significance?
They are unwholesome and wholesome behaviors that lead people to live unhappily or
happily now & in the future.
Unwholesome Course
Bodily Conduct
1. Killing & harming living beings.
2. Taking what is not given.
3. Sexual misconduct.
Verbal Conduct
4. Lying.
5. Slandering.
6. Harsh talk.
7. Useless Idle chattering.
Mental Conduct
8. Covetous thinking.
9. Hateful thinking.
10. Seeing distortedly with wrong view.
Wholesome Course
Bodily Conduct
1. Abandoning killing & harming living beings.
2. Abandoning taking what is not given.
3. Abandoning sexual misconduct.
Verbal Conduct
4. Abandoning lying.
5. Abandoning slandering.
6. Abandoning harsh talk.
7. Abandoning useless idle chattering.
Mental Conduct
8. Abandoning covetous thinking.
9. Abandoning hateful thinking.
10. Seeing undistortedly with right view.
From the textbook Grade 11 Buddhism, Published by the ministry of education of Sri Lanka,
they are:
1. Kamma from Mind
2. Kamma from words
3. Kamma from deeds
To fulfill the Kamma there should be 4 things to complete
1. There should be a victim of it (Self or other)
2. There should have will to commit it
3. Should have made planning to do it
4. Commit it If one of above not is there, Kamma was not been done.
Virtue as consciousness-concomitant is the [three remaining] states consisting of non-covetousness, non-ill will, and right view, stated in the way beginning, “Abandoning covetousness, he dwells with a mind free from covetousness” (D I 71).
I know the quote is taken out of context from the chapter, but I was just wondering about the ten courses of action (kamma), and their reference and significance?
What are the ten courses of action & their significance?
They are unwholesome and wholesome behaviors that lead people to live unhappily or
happily now & in the future.
Unwholesome Course
Bodily Conduct
1. Killing & harming living beings.
2. Taking what is not given.
3. Sexual misconduct.
Verbal Conduct
4. Lying.
5. Slandering.
6. Harsh talk.
7. Useless Idle chattering.
Mental Conduct
8. Covetous thinking.
9. Hateful thinking.
10. Seeing distortedly with wrong view.
Wholesome Course
Bodily Conduct
1. Abandoning killing & harming living beings.
2. Abandoning taking what is not given.
3. Abandoning sexual misconduct.
Verbal Conduct
4. Abandoning lying.
5. Abandoning slandering.
6. Abandoning harsh talk.
7. Abandoning useless idle chattering.
Mental Conduct
8. Abandoning covetous thinking.
9. Abandoning hateful thinking.
10. Seeing undistortedly with right view.
From the textbook Grade 11 Buddhism, Published by the ministry of education of Sri Lanka,
they are:
1. Kamma from Mind
- Abhidya - Wish of " May others property become mine"
- Viyapada - Wish of " May other (or I) suffer or die"
- Mithyadrushti - Wrong beliefs ex: there is no effect of kamma
2. Kamma from words
- Lying
- Bitter words
- Columny
- Telling bare words
3. Kamma from deeds
- killing
- Stealing
- Sexual actions other than wife
To fulfill the Kamma there should be 4 things to complete
1. There should be a victim of it (Self or other)
2. There should have will to commit it
3. Should have made planning to do it
4. Commit it If one of above not is there, Kamma was not been done.
Continue the Cakkavatti Sutta:
The Wheel - Turning Emperor
..."Monks, live with yourself as your island, yourself as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge. Live with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge.
And how does a monk live with himself as his island, himself as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge?
There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. This is how a monk lives with himself as his island, himself as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge.
"Wander, monks, in your proper range, your own ancestral territory. When you wander in your proper range, your own ancestral territory, you will grow in long life, beauty, pleasure, wealth, & strength.
"And what constitutes a monk's long life?
There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion.
He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence... founded on intent... He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion.
From the development & pursuit of these four bases of power, he can stay (alive) for an aeon, if he wants, or for the remainder of an aeon. This constitutes a monk's long life.
"And what constitutes a monk's beauty?
There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults. This constitutes a monk's beauty.
"And what constitutes a monk's pleasure?
There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.
With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This constitutes a monk's pleasure.
"And what constitutes a monk's wealth?
There is the case where a monk keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will.
Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion... imbued with appreciation...
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"This constitutes a monk's wealth.
"And what constitutes a monk's strength?
There is the case where a monk, through the ending of the mental fermentations, enters & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here & now. This constitutes a monk's strength.
"Monks, I don't envision any other single strength so hard to overcome as this: the strength of Mara. And the adopting of skillful qualities is what causes this merit to increase."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words.
Notes
1.
This can also be translated as: "Live with mental qualities (dhammas) as your island, mental qualities as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge."
2.
Literally, "what is in a monk's long life?" This appears to be an idiomatic usage of the locative case. The commentary interprets this idiom as meaning, what causes a monk's long life, beauty, etc. From this reading, it explains, for example, that a monk attracts wealth if he develops the four sublime attitudes. While this is true, it seems to cheapen the message of this passage.
3.
This last passage is related to the opening passage of the sutta, in which the Buddha says, "Wander, monks, in your proper range, your own ancestral territory. When one wanders in his proper range, his own ancestral territory, Mara gains no opening, Mara gains no foothold. And it is because of adopting skillful qualities that this merit increases." See also SN 47.6-7.
4.
This is the refrain repeated with each stage in the account of how human life will improve in the aftermath of the sword-interval. Here, "merit" seems to have the meaning it has in Iti 22: "Don't be afraid of acts of merit." This is another way of saying what is blissful, desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming — i.e., acts of merit.
©2002 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Please click here for more information.
"Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor" (DN 26),
translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition),
30 November 2013,
The Wheel - Turning Emperor
..."Monks, live with yourself as your island, yourself as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge. Live with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge.
And how does a monk live with himself as his island, himself as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge?
There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. This is how a monk lives with himself as his island, himself as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, with nothing else as his refuge.
"Wander, monks, in your proper range, your own ancestral territory. When you wander in your proper range, your own ancestral territory, you will grow in long life, beauty, pleasure, wealth, & strength.
"And what constitutes a monk's long life?
There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion.
He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence... founded on intent... He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion.
From the development & pursuit of these four bases of power, he can stay (alive) for an aeon, if he wants, or for the remainder of an aeon. This constitutes a monk's long life.
"And what constitutes a monk's beauty?
There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults. This constitutes a monk's beauty.
"And what constitutes a monk's pleasure?
There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.
With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This constitutes a monk's pleasure.
"And what constitutes a monk's wealth?
There is the case where a monk keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will.
Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion... imbued with appreciation...
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"This constitutes a monk's wealth.
"And what constitutes a monk's strength?
There is the case where a monk, through the ending of the mental fermentations, enters & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here & now. This constitutes a monk's strength.
"Monks, I don't envision any other single strength so hard to overcome as this: the strength of Mara. And the adopting of skillful qualities is what causes this merit to increase."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words.
Notes
1.
This can also be translated as: "Live with mental qualities (dhammas) as your island, mental qualities as your refuge, with nothing else as your refuge."
2.
Literally, "what is in a monk's long life?" This appears to be an idiomatic usage of the locative case. The commentary interprets this idiom as meaning, what causes a monk's long life, beauty, etc. From this reading, it explains, for example, that a monk attracts wealth if he develops the four sublime attitudes. While this is true, it seems to cheapen the message of this passage.
3.
This last passage is related to the opening passage of the sutta, in which the Buddha says, "Wander, monks, in your proper range, your own ancestral territory. When one wanders in his proper range, his own ancestral territory, Mara gains no opening, Mara gains no foothold. And it is because of adopting skillful qualities that this merit increases." See also SN 47.6-7.
4.
This is the refrain repeated with each stage in the account of how human life will improve in the aftermath of the sword-interval. Here, "merit" seems to have the meaning it has in Iti 22: "Don't be afraid of acts of merit." This is another way of saying what is blissful, desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming — i.e., acts of merit.
©2002 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Please click here for more information.
"Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor" (DN 26),
translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition),
30 November 2013,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.26.0.than.html .
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